Lifting apparatus for invalids



March 9, 1965 E. F. WOLFE LIFTING APPARATUS FOR INVALIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1962 FIGJ FIG2

q A M u My t INVEN TOR.

WOLFE BY FULWIDEE, MATTINGLY HU NTLEY ATTORNEYS March 9, 1965 E. F. WOLFE 3,172,551

LIFTING APPARATUS FOR INVALIDS Filed July 5, 1962 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EZRA E WOLFE BY FULWIDER, MATTINGLY' a. HUNTLEY AT TO RNEYS United States Patent 3,172,551 LIFTING APPARATUS FOR INVALIDS Ezra F. Wolfe, 434 Nebraska Ave., Long Beach 12, Calif. Filed July 5, 1%2, Ser. No. 267,645 4 Claims. (Cl. 21475) The present invention relates generally to lifting apparatus for invalids, and more particularly to apparatus for lifting persons in and out of vehicles.

To enable persons who are confined to a bed or wheel chair to conveniently enter and leave a motor vehicle, it is desirable to provide semi-automatic apparatus in the nature of a lift mechanism. Such mechanism should permit the person to be lifted from a wheel chair or similar device to the seating means normally found in motor vehicles.

Devices heretofore available have been difiicult to operate due to the particular arrangement of parts, and due to the particular type of motive power means employed. Some of such prior devices have been merely manually operable means have been provided to afford the desired mechanical advantage for magnifying manual forces. Other such devices have been found undesirable due to the use of complicated and cumbersome linkages for accomplishing the desired movements.

In view of the foregoing it is an object of the present invention to provide an invalid lift which is semi-automatically operable for positioning a person in a motor vehicle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an invalid lift as characterized above which is operated by the source of power normally found in motor vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an invalid lift for use in a motor vehicle which includes a reversely energizable electric motor to be operated by the electrical system normally found in such vehicles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an invalid lift as characterized above which comprises a minimum number of moving parts, and which is relatively small and compact.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an invalid lift as characterized above which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is rugged and dependable in operation.

The novel features which I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The device itself, however, both as to its organization and mode of operation, together with addi-' tional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a motor vehicle having an invalid lift according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the vehicle of FIGURE 1 showing the invalid lift in operation;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the invalid lift;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the invalid lift of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 5--5 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the detachable connection means for the invalid support; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the back rest of the invalid support.

Like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, there is shown therein a fragmentary view of a motor vehicle 10 3,172,551 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 having seating means 12 in front of which is mounted an invalid lift mechanism 14 according to the present invention. Invalid lift 14 is firmly secured to vehicle 10 between the underside of the dashboard 10a and the upper surface of the floor 10b of the vehicle.

As shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, lift 14 comprises a vertical support or base member 16 the upper end portion 16a of which is attached to the dashboard 10a of vehicle 10 by a bracket 18 which is held in place by a fastening bolt 20. End portion 16a is formed with a reduced end as shown at 16b for insertion within an appropriate opening formed in bracket 18. The lower end portion of base member 16 is firmly attached to the floor 1611 by means of a bracket 22, the latter of which is held in place by appropriate means such as fastening bolts 24. End portion 160 is formed with a reduced end 16d for insertion within an appropriate opening in bracket 22.

Pivotally attached to base member 16 by any appropriate means such as bolts, rivets or the like as shown at 26 and 28, are a pair of elongated support members 30 and 32 constituting a parallelogram linkage. The ends 30a and 32a of support members 30 and 32 respectively are fastened relative to each other by a spacer 34. To permit support members 30 and 32 to pivot on base member 16 while remaining generally parallel, pivot pins 36 and 38 in the form of rivets, bolts or the like, are positioned in appropriate openings in spacer 34 and the support members 30 and 32.

Spacer 34 is one member of a generally triangular bracket 40 which further comprises a horizontal lever 42 and a brace member 44. Brace member 44 is disposed at an angle to the vertical to properly support lever 42 and the load to be suspended therefrom as will hereinafter be described. Brace 44 can be attached to lever 42 in any desired manner as by the use of bolts, screws or the like.

Rigidly secured to the underside of brace member 44 is a fastening plate 46 which is formed with an opening for receiving a depending reduced end portion 34a formed on spacer 34. To maintain bracket 40 in assembled relation as shown in FIGURE 5, a pin 48 is inserted within a transverse through opening in end portion 42a of lever 42 and a corresponding opening in the upper end portion 34b of spacer 34.

Lever member 42 is further formed with an elongated slot 42b for slidably receiving an adjustment arm 50 which is provided with a plurality of spaced transverse openings 50a. A bolt 52 having an enlarged end portion or head 52a is inserted through appropriate aligned openings in lever 42, there being a nut 54 cooperable with bolt 52 to retain arm 50 in assembled relation within slot 42b of lever member 42. As will hereinafter become more apparent, the openings 50a in arm 50 permit the latter to be adjusted to substantially any desired position with respect to lever 42.

A mounting bolt or stud 56 is firmly secured in an upright position to the exposed end of adjustment arm 50. A horizontally disposed support member 58 is adjustably secured to stud 56 by fastening nuts 60 and 62 which are adjustably threaded on stud 56 on either side of support member 58.

The opposite end portions 58a and 58b of support member 58 are provided with mounting pins 64 and 66 respectively, each of which is formed with a shank as shown at 64a and 66, and an enlarged head or end portion as shown at 64b and 66b respectively.

As shown most clearly in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, a bracket 70 is firmly secured to the lower end port-ion 160 of base member 16 as by welding, soldering or the like. A bracing member 72 is angularly disposed between bracket member 70 and base member 16 to provide the necessary strength and rigidity for the bracket for purposes which will hereinafter become apparent.

For pivotal actuation of support members and 32, there is provided between member 32 and bracket member 70 force transmitting means 74. A bracket 76 is firmly fastened to support member 32 in depending relation as shown in FIGURE 3. Actuating means 78 comprising a motor 80 and drive means 82 is pivotally attached tobrac'ket 76 by a lever 84 and a pivot pin or bolt 86. Aotuating means 82 also includes a threaded shaft 88 which telescopically fits within a screw jack or tubular member 90, the lower end of which is 'pivotally fastened to bracket member 70 by a pivot pin 92. Tubular member 90 is formed with internal threads for cooperation with the threads formed on shaft 88 as will hereinafter be explained.

An electrical junction block 94 is attached to the underside of support member 32. Leading from junction block 94 to motor 80 are appropriate lead wires 96 for energization of said motor. Also extending from junction block 94 are appropriate input leads 9% which carry a socket or male adaptor 100 for cooperation with the cigar lighter receptacle (not shown) usually found in most motor vehicles. As will hereinafter be explained in greater detail, adapter 100 permits the subject invalid lift to be operated from the source of power in the motor vehicle.

A manually operable three-position switch 102 having an actuating lever 102a is attached to lever 42 as most clearly shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. Appropriate lead wires 104 connect switch 102 to junction block 94, there being a lead wire connector 106 in the lead wires 104 to facilitate removal of the triangular shaped bracket as will hereinafter be explained. Appropriate tabs 108 are employed along the lead wires 104 to hold them in proper position.

To comfortably support a person on the lift mechanism 14, there is provided a support or holding mechanism 112 as shown most clearly in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Such holding mechanism may take the form of seating means which, in devices of this nature, are commonly termed slings. It comprises a box-shaped seating member 114 which may be formed of any appropriate resilient material such as foam rubber or the like, and support means 116 on either side thereof. Each of such support means 116, as most clearly shown in FIGURE 6 of the drawings, comprises a mounting plate 118 which is formed with'an opening 118a having an enlarged portion 118]) for receiving the enlarged end portion or head of either of the pins 64 and 66, and a reduced portion 1180 for closely engaging the shaft of either of such pins.

A pair of chains or other flexible tension means 120 and 122 extend from plate 118 to spaced-points on the seat member 114 to properly support the latter. By virtue of the identical support means 116 on either side of the seating member 114, the latter is freely suspended from the horizontal support member 58.

To provide support for the persons back, there is provided as part of the invalid supporting means 112, a strap 124, the opposite ends of which carry suitable mounting plates 126. Each mounting plate 126 is formed with an opening 126a similar to the opening 118a formed in plates 118. The mounting plates 126 are also inserted on the mounting pins 64 and 66 at the opposite ends of support member 58 to thereby position the strap 124 so as to support the back of a person as most clearly shown in FIGURE 2. Strap 124 may be formed of any appropriate flexible material such as canvas, plastic, rubber or the like.

The subject invalid lift operates generally as follows.

Due to the reduced opposite end portions 16b and 16d of base member 16 inserted within appropriate openings in brackets 18 and 22, the base member 16 is provided pivotal movement about a substantially vertical axis. As such, the entire lift mechanism can be pivoted so that the invalid support means 112 is positioned outside of the motor vehicle.

With the electrical connector 100 within the cigar light-- er receptacle normally found on the dashboard of most motor vehicles, power is afforded for energization of motor 80. Such electrical arrangement is shown in FIG- URE 2 of the drawings. By suitable manipulation of switch actuator 102a the motor is energized such as to cause actuator 82 to rotate threaded shaft 88 to cause it to move downwardly within tubular member 90. For purposes which will hereinafter become more apparent, motor 80 is bidirectional so that reverse energization causes reverse operation and hence reverse rotation of threaded shaft 88.

Such movement of shaft 38 downwardly within tubular member causes support members 30 and 32 to pivot in a counterclockwise direction on base member 16 as viewed in FIGURE 3 of the drawings.

The invalid supporting means 112 can then be removed from the supporting bar 58 merely by removing from pins 64 and 66 the several mounting plates 118 for the seat portion 114 and the several mounting plates 126 for the back supporting strap 124. The seating member 114 can then be positioned beneath the person while in a wheel chair or similar device. Subsequent thereto, with the person in the wheel chair adjacent the vehicle, it is possible to reassemble the mounting plates 118 and 126 on the pins 64 and 66.

Actuation of lever 102a of switch 102 then lifts the entire supporting means 112 so as to remove the person from the wheel chair. Such manipulation of actuator 102a effects energization of motor 80 such as to rotate shaft 88 to cause it to be retracted from tubular member 00.

With the person in the raised position, it is a simple matter to manually rotate or pivot the entire mechanism about the substantially vertical axis of base member 16, and t0 thereafter energize motor 80 so as to lower the person onto the seat of the motor vehicle.

During extended setting periods within the vehicle, the triangularly shaped bracket 40 can be removed from the spacer 34 merely by removing the pin 48 from within lever 42 and spacer 34, and thereafter removing bracket plate 46 from the reduced lower end portion 34a of spacer 34. To facilitate this, the electrical lead wire connector 106 is disconnected. The entire lift mechanism 14 can be pivoted about base member 16 to an obscure position beneath the dashboard 10a of the vehicle.

As above-explained, the vertical position of supporting bar 58 can be varied on stud 56 by means of fastening nuts 60 and 62. In like fashion, the arm 50 can be extended or retracted as desired merely by changing the opening 50a therein which is used for receiving bolt 52.

As will be readily apparent to those persons skilled in the art, by reassembling the triangular bracket 40 on spacer 34 and attaching the supporting means 112 to bar 58, it is possible to remove the person from the vehicle. The connector 106 must be reconnected to permit energization of motor 80 by switch 102 so as to lift the person from the vehicle seat and thereafter lower him to the wheel chair or other appropriate apparatus.

It is thus seen that the present invention affords an invalid lift which is semi-automatically operable to lift a patient in and out of a motor vehicle as desired. Such lift apparatus is electrically operable with the power normally found in most present day' motor vehicles.

Although I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention I am fully aware that many modifications thereof are possible. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for lifting an invalid, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, vertically oriented base member having upper and lower extremities;

a supporting bracket including a spacer pivotable about a vertical axis relative to the remainder of said bracket, and further including an arm adjustable along a horizontal axis;

an elongated parallelogram linkage having inner and outer extremities, said inner extremities being connected to said base member and said outer extremities being connected to said pivotable spacer for movement of said bracket in a vertical plane and for pivotal movement of said bracket about said vertical axis of said spacer;

a screw jack pivotably connected to said linkage and to said base member and having screw parts relatively rotatable for extension and retraction of said screw jack to vary the height of said bracket;

a reversible electric motor connected to said screw jack and operative to rotate said screw parts relative to one another to eifect extension and retraction of said screw jack;

an elongated horizontal member connected to said arm of said bracket;

invalid support means detachably secured to the opposite extremities of said horizontal member;

and means rotatably mounting said base member at said upper and lower extremities thereof and attachable to the floor and to the underside of the dashboard of an automobile for lateral swinging of an invalid into and out of the automobile doorway.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including means connecting said horizontal member to said arm of said bracket and adjustable to raise and lower said horizontal member relative to said arm.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including means detachably connecting said spacer to the remainder of said bracket whereby said spacer and said parallelogram linkage may be lowered for compact storage beneath an automobile dashboard.

4. Apparatus for lifting an invalid, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated, vertically oriented base member having upper and lower extremities;

a supporting bracket including an arm extensible and retractable along a horizontal axis;

a linkage having inner and outer extremities, said inner extremity being pivotal-ly connected to said base member;

means pivotally connecting said outer extremity of said linkage to said bracket for pivotal movement of said bracket in a vertical plane relative to said base mem her and for pivotal movement of said bracket about a vertical axis relative to said linkage;

a screw jack pivotally connected to said linkage and to said base member and having screw parts relatively rotatable for extension and retraction of said screw jack to vary the height of said bracket;

a reversible electric motor connected to said screw jack and operative to rotate said screw parts relative to one another to effect extension and retraction of said screw jack;

an elongated horizontal member connected to said arm of said bracket;

invalid support means detachably secured to the opposite extremities of said horizontal member;

and means rotatably mounting said base member at said upper and lower extremities thereof and attachable to the floor and to the underside of the dashboard of an automobile for lateral swinging of an invalid into and out of the automobile doorway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 466,464 Hood et a1. Jan. 5, 1892 1,870,906 Gottschack et a1 Aug. 9, 1932 2,443,242 Hansen et al June 15, 1948 2,565,536 Valentine Aug. 28, 1951 2,747,652 Marsh May 29, 1956 2,792,951 White May 21, 1957 2,793,768 Schaedler May 28, 1957 2,846,091 Hefiner Aug. 5, 1958 2,975,434 Butler Mar. 21, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,001 Germany Feb. 3, 1906 60,989 France Feb. 21, 1955 

4. APPARATUS FOR LIFTING AN INVALID, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED, VERTICALLY ORIENTED BASE MEMBER HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES; A SUPPORTING BRACKET INCLUDING AN ARM EXTENSIBLE AND RERACTABLE ALONG A HORIZONTAL AXIS; A LINKAGE HAVING INNER AND OUTER EXTREMITIES, SAID INNER EXTREMELY BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID BASE MEMBER; MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID OUTER EXTREMITY OF SAID LINKAGE TO SAID BRACKET FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BRACKET IN A VERTICAL PLANE RELATIVE TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID BRACKET ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS RELATIVE TO SAID LINKAGE; A SCREW JACK PIVOTALLY CONNNECTED TO SAID LINKAGE AND TO SAID BASE MEMBER AND HAVING SCREW PARTS RELATIVELY ROTATABLE FOR EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF SAID SCREW JACK TO VARY THE HEIGHT OF SAID BRACKET; A REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR CONNECTED TO SAID SCREW JACK AND OPERATIVE TO ROTATE SAID SCREW PARTS RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER TO EFFECT EXTENSION AND RETRACTION OF SAID SCREW JACK; AN ELONGATED HORIZONTAL MEMBER CONECTED TO SAID ARM OF SAID BRACKET; INVALID SUPPORT MEANS DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE EXTREMITIES OF SAID HORIZONTAL MEMBER; AND MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING SAID BASE MEMBER AT SAID UPPER AND LOWER EXTREMITIES THEREOF AND ATTACHABLE TO THE FLOOR AND TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE DASHBOARD OF AN AUTOMOBILE FOR LATERAL SWINGING OF AN INVALID INTO AND OUT OF THE AUTOMOBILE DOORWAY. 